It's 4 o'clock in the morning, waiting for a taxi to drive me to the center to meet my bla bla car driver..a carpool service one of my customers told me about..it's a 3 hour drive so I'm excited. ..
Hahaha, carpool went great. Super friendly guy, funny because I thought he was going to be a female. Anyway, at first he pulled up in a white van, the work type, no windows. I'm sure you can imagine the expression on my face. Especially when I thought I was expecting a female in a car. I was gonna sleep but at this point no chance. Before I got in his car I asked his name... yep that was him, Sofine. So I got into this van and start talking, I started asking a million questions.
He delivers a political newspaper 3x a week to Barcelona and back. He was very friendly, which gave me hope for the rest of the french people. However, he did warn me that they don't speak english, as my Sweden friend put it, "they are proud of their laanguge, so they don't think they need other languages." Ignorance is bliss, was my response. I thought to myself how bad could it be?
Before we arrived to Montpellier we stopped for coffee and a croissant, he paid which I thought was sweet. I wanted to pay because I didn't want to owe him anything, besides that he was driving me. He was trying to help me figure out what to do since he was going away for weekend, and couldn't show me around his city. It was never in the plan, but became a desire for him. He started naming all these places he wanted to show me.
He seemed genuinely concerned, calling hotels for me, even offered to let me sleep at his place for a few hours...lol...sweet right? Total pass! He aasked if I wanted to go with him, away...for the weekend.... I also declined. We arrived at my drop spot. He dropped me off towards the center. Told me just walk straight to the center. me the double cheek kiss and a hug and wish me luck on my journey.
So there I was standing in the middle of a street at 7am, strange place, nobody but me. I'm getting use to this feeling. Sometimes I feel lonely but not this type of lonely. This isn't at sad lonely, it's just simply lonely. I begin walking, starring at the beauty of Montpellier. As I said before it's early so there are not many on the street except runners and people going to work. I forgot it was Friday.
I admired the style of the people, and everyone smells great. Not even the same, all different. So I'm walking, I think to take out my phone and start snapping away but not this time. This time I'm going to enjoy this place for me. It's romantic, clean, has a very... I want to fall in love feel to it. I notice people starring as I walk by, I have my back pack but they look confused. They can't figure out my nationality. It's okay I keep walking. It's now 11am, I've been walking for a while, I had to pee so bad I stopped to have an espresso just to use the bathroom. I mean if I'm going to pay I mine as well get something out of it. Of yes you have to pay to use the public bathroom. Usually ,50€ and since an espresso is only 1,50€ it just makes sense.
It's that time now. To decide do I stay or do I go? I admired the city, walked around for a few hours, and now I'm back where I started. Took a look atthe map to see if there is anything else I want to see and decide that was a quick no. The train station is in the center so I go to find out my options for a train. It's summer so it's crowded and prices are high. Checked bla bla car and buses. I got declined on both bla bla requests, I'm sure it's because I'm American. It's a french carpool system, although my first booking experience was great, the rest didn't follow.
At the train station I wait in line for a number. The lady hands me a ticket. I tell her I'd like to buy a ticket go to Nice. She says in english, no one speaks english. Ok. I give this almost blank look. How bad could it be? It didn't bother her at all, she didn't care what the hell I did. I'm waiting and they skip my number. I thought maybe I wasn't paying attention so I got another number. Again! So I go up to her and said you skipped my number. Freaking gives me another ticket. I throw away the previous one, the lady gets mad even though we can't understand each other it's clear she's upset. Really lady? I wait 10 seconds, my number is called. I go up I say, bonjerno, I'd like to buy a ticket to Nice. Its false advertising that I even say Bonjerno. This one, she looks at me upset. "No English", ok. I still need a ticket. So I say, "Nice? Ticket. Buy. Go." she's looking up in the computer for the ticket, as she's doing that, the lady who was upset with me comes over and tells her angrily I threw away my previous ticket. So now the 1st ticket she was going to sell me for the train is no longer available. Okay at this point I'm practicing patience. Finally the next available ticket leaves in 3 hours. I tell her okay. She looks at me like there's a chance I might say no? HELLO? Where am I going, unless you want to have a conversation with me? Book me the dang ticket. I'll buy it, I pay with 100€, now she smiles! Is this lady for real? Finally I take my ticket and take a walk. As a side note I did try and use the automated machine, yep didn't work.
I walk the city a little more. This time with a different type of attitude. I didn't want to think like that. I mean, when I come into contact with someone that doesn't speak english I try my hardest to communicate or get someone who can, so they feel comfortable. Nothing was in english they only spoke french not even spanish, the messages over the loud speaker at the station, the signs Nothing. I'm not going to generalize but in this strange case this was happening. Eventually I come back to the train station, grab a water, everything chocolate and fall sleep for 30 minutes waiting for the train.
So here I am on the train headed to Marseille to transfer train to Nice. I was going to stop in Marseille but Sofier told me it's no good. Thank god because when I got there it was the exact way I felt. It looked beautiful from the train window. The whole ride the countryside and sea was amazing, the people eh not so much. Made my connection and it's a completely jammed train. I booked a hostel for a night and found an Italian to host me in Nice from couchsurfing. I'll decide when I get there how long I'll stay. At this point I've been on the go and all I really want to do is layout for the next 3 weeks by the beach.
All this sight seeing is great but my gosh it's exhausting. I want to go to Paris to go but at the smell time I'm kind of over the cities. To go all the way north to head all the way south is pricey..I dunno. I'm going to just keep playing by feeling.
Nice is after all destination I wanted to see the most. I booked a hostile for tonight and I found 2 guys on couchsurfing that I can go out to eat with. I'm not sure if I'll go to Paris, the only reason to go there's take a picture of the Eiffel Tower ...okay maybe a little more...
I've arrived to Nice, I need to shower...